


At the End of Summer

by snowharasho



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, happy birthday ishimaru :), ishimaru is a ghost, post-dr3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 20:29:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20477027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowharasho/pseuds/snowharasho
Summary: Amidst the stuffy summer heat, Ishimaru watches over Naegi with the memories from before the killing game.





	At the End of Summer

**Author's Note:**

> (Written by my sister)
> 
> Basically, I thought, ‘what if Ishimaru loved Naegi before the killing game, and what if he got his memories back while Naegi didn’t?’ and that was the basis for this fic. Happy birthday Ishimaru!

It’s too hot.

It had been around two years since Naegi had graduated, and Ishimaru wonders how he’s doing. 

He sees him sometimes as he passes through the new and rebuilt Hope’s Peak Academy, whispers and murmurs speaking of Naegi Makoto as the new headmaster. His first instinct when he heard the news was to smile - his _ friend _ had really become someone special. Ishimaru finds himself selfishly thinking that _ he _ was the reason Naegi decided to reopen the school, before having to push those foolishly _ wrong _ delusions out of his mind. 

Today was another one of those days where Ishimaru catches sight of Naegi walking down the hallways, inspecting every inch of the building under renovation. His former classmate, who was dressed in a smart black suit, ditching the hoodie from his high school days, was flanked by two construction workers as they discussed the logistics of their operation. 

Ishimaru wishes so badly that he were one of the construction workers talking with Naegi. He wishes he could just walk up to him and grab his hand and use detention as an excuse to pull him away. He calls out to Naegi, but he doesn’t answer, doesn’t even acknowledge his presence. After all, how could he acknowledge someone who wasn’t even there?

It’s cold. 

Ishimaru remembers, he remembers the first time he confessed to Naegi - it was at the peak of the summer just like today. Hot and sweltering, he remembers feeling terrified, yet determined, when he shakily handed his letter where he penned down all his feelings for his friend. He remembers Naegi accepting with gentle hands, hands that for a second brushed against his own and he felt his breath hitch. He remembers being afraid, afraid of rejection, ridicule, anger, sadness and despair, but instead was met by the most pleasant smile he had ever seen.

“I love you too, Ishimaru-kun.” 

Ishimaru replayed the words over and over again in his mind, like a broken record. He’d replay those days over and over again, wishing he could experience them once more. He closes his eyes and remembers a particular moment that makes him feel whole while tearing him apart.

“When we graduate, let’s get married!”

“W-what are you saying? Isn’t that way too fast?”

“Is it? We’re adults now, right? I know how much Ishimaru-kun wants to focus on his studies for now… but afterwards, it’s okay, right?”

“... I… would like that…”

Time didn’t flow for Ishimaru any longer, and every day felt like an eternity, waiting for a peace that would never come. For the longest time his mind was a jumbled mess - if he wasn’t crying about Naegi he would be crying over his _ brother. _

It’s unfair - it’s unfair that he remembers, and yet Naegi doesn’t. He wishes he could tell him, but even if he could, would he even believe him? After all, this was the Naegi who didn’t even cry for his death. 

The Naegi that never fell in love with Ishimaru.

-

Ishimaru was snapped back to attention at the sound of loud drilling. The construction had started again, but more concerning was the fact that Naegi was no longer there. Feeling anxious even though the world was much less dangerous than the time of the Tragedy, Ishimaru walked briskly in search of him. With no goal or destination in mind, he somehow was lucky enough to stumble upon his friend, crouched in the backroom of the physics lab. 

A wave of relief washed over him. He still couldn’t help himself from worrying over Naegi. Despite knowing he couldn’t feel his presence, Ishimaru crept up to Naegi with quiet steps, as if he were afraid of startling him. And that’s when he heard it.

It was soft, and strained, but Naegi was crying.

Ishimaru rushed over to get a closer look, wishing he could produce a clean handkerchief out of thin air to wipe his tears. Why was he crying? Ishimaru restrained his own tears as he made an ultimately futile attempt to console his beloved friend. Even in this time of need, he couldn’t do anything.

However when he managed to get a good view of Naegi’s expression, he saw that he was holding something unexpected - a red armband, similar, no, identical to the one he had pinned on his left arm. 

“Ishimaru-kun… I’m so sorry… I couldn’t save you...”

Naegi was crying… over him? 

Ahh… _ Naegi-kun, I was foolish… _

Naegi spent a couple of minutes sobbing, and as Ishimaru rubbed his own now-teary eyes he realised that this room was the very room where he had gotten murdered by Yamada. And, he supposed, also the same room where he got his memories back while coming to terms with the fact that he was dead, yet not.

“Ishimaru-kun,” Naegi whispered, his voice hoarse from the crying. He shakily took out a small black box from his pocket and gently placed it over the spot where he vividly recalled Ishimaru’s lifeless corpse being sprawled over. “I- I’m sorry. I’m sorry I forgot and I’m sorry if you don’t remember. B-but I got you this. It’s almost your birthday, right?”

Forcing a smile, Naegi choked out his final words.

“Happy birthday, Ishimaru-kun. Please wait for me a while longer.” 

Naegi’s trembling fingers slowly opened the lid of the box, and Ishimaru gasped through his tears. It was a small, shining ring. 

_ He remembered. He remembered him, his birthday, his feelings, his love, his wish, and all alone he remembered and regretted, yet he continued smiling and shining brightly. _

_ Naegi-kun was truly hope in the purest sense. _

The two cried in unison despite being unable to see each other, or hear each other, or touch each other - a part of Ishimaru felt as if Naegi could _ feel _ him. And that gave him comfort.

_ I’ll wait for you as long as it takes. In the meantime, please go and become the greatest headmaster, and spend time with your friends, until despair is erased from the world. _

_ If it’s Naegi-kun, I believe you can do it. _

-

It’s too hot. Way, way too hot. Yet the stuffiness of the room was soothing and brought a rush of summertime memories to his brain.

He had no way of knowing for certain, but he was sure his feelings had reached him. Rubbing the last traces of tears off his face, Naegi stood up with wobbly legs that he had been sitting on too long, and gave his present one last look and a fond smile. Well, actually, he should probably leave it somewhere safer. He picked up the ring and decided to leave it in his boyfriend - no, _ fiancee’s _ \- locker. Oh, and he should probably tell the construction guys not to touch it, too.

Nothing would change if he just regretted. So Naegi chose to believe in the future.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a long time ago and was too embarrassed to post it, but it was fitting for Ishimaru's birthday so I decided to just do it. There's not enough Naeishi angst in the world. There's not enough Naeishi in general. 
> 
> I just love the idea of ghost Ishimaru being proud of Naegi and watching over him... 
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
